Best Game
Grunn - Sokpop Collective
Jury: “Going into this game without any prior knowledge it felt like a nice gardening sim. So after trimming hedges and cutting grass….things suddenly got creepy. Before you know you’re in the middle of a survival mystery exploration game! Pulse quickening…speedrunning through all the possibilities for different endings! Looking back there are some very subtle design choices that lead the player to explore further to piece the story together. The blurry art and supporting audio set a nice stage, letting the game slowly evolve into a horror story. Seeing that this game did well commercially supports the feeling that this is not a game you just play once, but replay over and over to solve the mystery!”
Best Art
SCHiM - Extra Nice
Jury: “A cheerful puzzle game with a novel protagonist. The game puts you in a really lovely atmosphere through the consistent style, full of detail.These confident style choices elevate the game, together with a playful way to view Dutch architecture and city planning!“
Best Audio (sponsored by Audiokinetic)
The Knightling - Twirlbound
Jury: “The Knightling features a soundtrack with a true WOW-factor. The uplifting music invites the player into a world with its own mysteries and glory. The feedback sounds from player interaction are well integrated into the game, making the transitioning of the audio a flawless and enjoying experience.“
Best Narrative
Herald: The Interactive Period Drama - Complete Edition - Wispfire
Jury: “The story, characters and dialogues carry the player all the way to the end and keep them wanting more. Supported by high quality voice actors this game sets the right stage for an intriguing plot and offers a high replayability. Although the controls of the game were a bit tedious at times, the power of this storyline kept the judges engaged till the end.“
Best Technology
Prologue: Go Wayback! - PLAYERUNKNOWN Productions
Jury: “The game’s machine learning technology perfectly matches the goal of innovating and leading the way in game development by making huge, unique worlds on a player’s own computer without needing internet servers. This “scalable” aspect means the tech can grow to handle even bigger games or more players in the future, like massive online worlds.
This tech introduces a fresh, “forward-thinking” way to build infinite game worlds that’s more accessible and creative, changing how future games are made and played, not just in the Netherlands but worldwide.“
Best Game Design
Grunn - Sokpop Collective
Jury: “Unusual setting for a mystery puzzle game. The game sets an eerie and stressful atmosphere. There is a good balance between clear direction and spooky insecurity. No direct danger is described, but the judges still felt afraid to stay outside at night. The game offered some surprising moments, all in the typical Sokpop style.“
Best Applied Game (sponsored by City of Rotterdam)
Freequency - Hulan
Jury: “The social purpose is clear. Freequency is changing people’s lives for the better, by using gamified technology. Although the applied game design is limited and purely functional, the fact that it works for patients is impressive and most important. The fun in Freequency can be found beyond the game experience; in a life that is no longer hindered by tinnitus.
On top of that it is also important to take into account the incredible feat of developing this game with such a huge consortium of academic partners, experts and specialists over the course of many years.“
Best Debut Game
Luma Island - Feel Free Games
Jury: “A cozy exploration game. The game offers a lot of exploration and crafting without stress. There’s a lot to explore and create, everything interacts, day & night cycles don’t matter, you have unlimited backpack space and there are multiple quests running at all times, which means you’ll always have something to keep going. If this is island life, sign us up!“
Best Student Game (sponsored by Total Mayhem Games)
The Final Print - Dummy Detectives, BUAS
Jury: “A beautifully crafted and deep game experience! The team made bold choices for their storyline to create an intriguing and unique narrative experience. The game could benefit from a hint-mechanism and some polish to squash the last bugs, but the judges are fully confident this team can deliver a quality experience.“
Inclusion
René Otto
René is a driving force in the industry, helping wherever he can. He has been an open and vocal advocate for inclusion for many years, backing his words with action by supporting marginalized teams and individuals, providing them with opportunities, and sponsoring relevant initiatives. On top of that, René and his team at Deviant Legal publish free resources for everyone, including his Guide to Publishing Agreements, and offer free consultations for indie developers.
Best Studio (sponsored by BehaviourNL)
MiniclipNL: GameBasics Studio
MiniclipNL prides itself on handling nearly everything in-house. The management team goes above and beyond to support their employees. Completely in the spirit of their soccer games, they treat employees like star players. The company invests heavily in training through coaching sessions and Knowledge & Strategy Days. Health is prioritized with buffet lunches, massages, annual flu shots, and hybrid working options and much, much more. And it shows! The company enjoys very low turnover, and numerous employees have already celebrated their 10-year anniversaries.
Best in Business
Poki
Headquartered in Amsterdam, Poki’s reach is truly global, bringing together millions of players every day. As an independent Dutch company, Poki competes with giants like YouTube Playables. In June 2025, Poki surpassed 1 BILLION monthly gameplays for the very first time! This achievement firmly establishes Poki’s position as the world’s leading platform for web games and demonstrates their ability to capture and grow a loyal global audience. This milestone reflects years of continuous innovation and long-term partnerships with game developers.
Career Achievement Award
Ivo Wubbels
Ivo is the Founder and CEO of Engine Software, which celebrates its 30-year anniversary this year. Under his leadership, Engine Software has become the oldest continuously active game studio in the Netherlands. Ivo has kept Engine Software relevant across numerous console generations, from handhelds to modern consoles and cloud platforms. When the heyday of licensed handheld games faded, Engine Software pivoted into porting and the multi-platform space. The Doetinchem-based company has maintained its independence while operating at a modest scale of 20 to 30 employees, demonstrating a stable and sustainable business model, perhaps also reflecting a bit of that pragmatic Achterhoek mentality.
Ivo has mentored countless developers and provided a stable platform for many careers, maintaining a homegrown studio that punches well above its weight on the international stage. His industry involvement traces back to the MSX demoscene, revealing genuine grassroots, passion-driven origins. His journey from demoscene enthusiast to successful business owner mirrors the maturation of the Dutch game development ecosystem itself.